3 minute read

Grade Two glory for former Challow winner.

Messire Des Obeaux  showed his two younger rivals the way home in the Paddy Power Dipper Novices' Chase at Wincanton.

Winner of the Grade One Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury on New Year's Eve of 2016, Alan King's charge went on to be placed at both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree the following spring, before injury kept him off the track for almost three years.

His return from a 1,034-day hiatus at Huntingdon last February was not devoid of promise, but it nevertheless looked as though his best days may perhaps be behind him.

However, following a heart-warming success on his chasing debut at Wincanton last month, the nine-year-old returned to Somerset for a Grade Two contest saved from the abandoned fixture at Cheltenham on New Year's Day – and proved up to the task in the hands of Daryl Jacob.

Settled at the rear of the three-runner field for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey, Messire Des Obeaux could be spotted travelling best rounding the home turn, and it was just a question of what he would find when push came to shove.

In the end he showed he had plenty in the locker, with a flying leap at the final fence sealing a near five-length verdict over Dan Skelton's 1-2 favourite Protektorat.